War of 1812

United States

V.

Great Britain

War Highlights

Declaring War

• James Madison– President 1809-1817– Inherited problem from Jefferson

• June 1st 1812 Madison decided Congress needed to vote on going to war– 1st time the U.S. had declared war

• Great Britain fought this war as an aside to their war with France

The War

• Navy Power

– The U.S. had a smaller but very well trained navy

– The U.S. was able to defeat British in one on one naval battles which boosted American morale

• Invasion of Canada– 1st plan to attack because many citizens were

actually born in America, but they did not take into consideration the large number of Native Americans to support the British

– Americans wanted to invade Canada from Detroit, Niagara Falls, and Hudson River Valley• All 3 attacks failed

– Breaking Britain's control of Lake Erie• American Commander Oliver Hazard Perry

defeated the British surrendering Lake Erie to American control

• The Creek War– The Creek Indians in the south fought a

war in 1813 with the American settlers who moved in and took their lands

– The Creek attacked Fort Mims destroying the fort and killing 250 people

– Andrew Jackson ( militia commander ) retaliated by attacking the Creeks and winning several battles

– Treaty of Fort Jackson signed in 1814 ended the Creek War and forced the Creeks to give up millions of acres of land

• British offensive

– Great Britain renewed its strength after finishing the war with France

– British attacked Washington D.C. burning the Capital and White House

– Attack on Fort McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor

• Americans able to keep control of the harbor though rough fighting

• Writing of the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key

– New Orleans• British hoped to take New Orleans

and control trade and shipping on the Mississippi River

• Andrew Jackson was the American military commander

• British were defeated as they marched across an open field

• Battle made Andrew Jackson a war hero

• It was the last major battle of the war

technically fought after the peace treaty had been signed